BootBack : Known Issues & Problems
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The latest version of BootBack is 3.21 Build 205. All problems and issues reported for prior versions have been resolved and corrected.Software Pursuits makes every effort to resolve any issues with BootBack as quickly as possible. Because we know that fixes can not always be instantaneous, we always keep our users informed of any known problems or issues with BootBack that we are working to fix for our next release.
We send an e-mail notification to users when a critical error is found or when a significant version change is released. (You gave us your e-mail address when you downloaded BootBack. If you suspect that we do not have your current email address, please email our support staff.) We will not release your address to other companies. Please see our Privacy policy.
Below is our current list of known issues for all versions of BootBack. Unless otherwise indicated, the problems listed for each earlier version were fixed in the later versions. Patches are generally not provided for prior versions, but upgrading to the latest version is even easier than applying a patch.
You can determine your BootBack version by going to Help menu and clicking on About BootBack.
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Known Issues in All Versions
This section has known issues that cross versions, such as conflicts with other software products or system requirements.
- BootBack can't be installed on a machine with GoBack installed on it. GoBack locks the MBR and prevents BootBack from installing.
- BootBack can't be run on machines which have St. Bernard Open File Technology (HotSpot) installed. The two open file technologies can't co-exist on the same system. There is no workaround at this time.
- NTFS Dynamic Volumes are not supported at this time.
- No support for Windows 95/98/Me/NT.
- No support for FAT/FAT32 file systems on drives using snapshot functions.
- No support for MBR or Boot record modification programs.
- Registry cleaners should not be used to delete registry keys associated with BootBack.
Known Issues in Latest Version (3.21 Build 205)
Version 3.21 Build 205 was posted on November 29, 2007.
Version 3.20 Build 202 and later are now Vista compatible.
This version contains all patches to previous versions as well as new fixes and features (see the ReadMe file for details). All issues listed for prior versions have been resolved.
There are no patches issued for this version at this time. We will report known issues as they come up.
If you have any problems not listed here, please contact our support group.
BootBack Version 3.20 Build 202 Known Issues
Version 3.20 Build 202 was posted on April 20, 2007.
- Added error message if a license key is entered while the Copy Engine is busy. This has been fixed in BootBack 3.21 Build 205.
- When creating an Archive, the target archive file is opened before indexing the source snapshot so that any access errors are immediately reported. This has been fixed in BootBack 3.21 Build 205.
- Fixed problem where if an archive was on a network drive, GetDiskFreeSpaceEx could generate the error: Access is denied. This has been fixed in BootBack 3.21 Build 205.
- Fixed problem where SetFileShortName would fail with the error: Cannot create a file when that file already exists. This has been fixed in BootBack 3.21 Build 205.
- Fixed problem where if the active snapshot was frozen and was not part of the default group, the snapshot booted without the prompt for a password. This has been fixed in BootBack 3.21 Build 205.
- Fixed problem on Windows 2000 where some files generated a spurious sharing error during a copy. This has been fixed in BootBack 3.21 Build 205.
- Fixed Problem where pressing F1 in the Copy Progress Dialog generated an error. This has been fixed in BootBack 3.21 Build 205.
- Fixed problem where if the name of a file contained certain Unicode characters, the log file would show the error: The data area passed to a system call is too small. This has been fixed in BootBack 3.21 Build 205.
BootBack Version 3.10 Build 173 Known Issues
Version 3.10 Build 169 was posted on October 17, 2006.
- Support for having Vista and XP/Win2K in seperate snapshots. This fix can be found in 3.20 Build 202.
- Pre-boot code moved from Master Boot Record to the Partition Boot Record. This fix can be found in 3.20 Build 202.
- SupportInfo.txt is now created on the User's Desktop and the MTF info has been removed since it was of limited use. This fix can be found in 3.20 Build 202.
- Excluded files starting with "*\" will now match files in the root as well as sub-folders. For example, "*\Temp" will match ALL files and folders named "Temp". This fix can be found in 3.20 Build 202.
- Setup log file copied to Windows\Temp on full uninstall for support purposes. This fix can be found in 3.20 Build 202.
- Log Viewer now displays the date in the computer's locale. This fix can be found in 3.20 Build 202.
- No errors just log notes on Shortcut fixup. This fix can be found in 3.20 Build 202.
- Fixed problem with Vista Safe Mode prompt and Freeze. This fix can be found in 3.20 Build 202.
- Fixed problem with bootstrap when restoring Vista archive on XP system or XP archive on Vista system. This fix can be found in 3.20 Build 202.
- Fixed problem in ISRCmd.exe where feedback for a very large file could cause a divide-by-zero error. This fix can be found in 3.20 Build 202.
- Fixed problem with VSS and ShadowProtect. This fix can be found in 3.20 Build 202.
- Fixed problem where the Safe Mode prompt was displayed after booting a copy of the active snapshot for the first time in Vista. Safe Mode is disabled for the first boot. This fix can be found in 3.20 Build 202.
- Fixed problem copying the security for encrypted files in Vista. This fix can be found in 3.20 Build 202.
- Fixed problem where if the user clicked a button or the checkbox on the Copy dialog and then pressed Enter, the dialog would exit. This fix can be found in 3.20 Build 202.
- Fixed problem where in Windows 2000, setting the Archive or Freeze user/password would fail with: "A required privilege is not held by the client." This fix can be found in 3.20 Build 202.
- Fixed problem where installer would not do a complete uninstall in Vista. This fix can be found in 3.20 Build 202.
- Fixed problem where if VSS was cancelled during its initialization it would be left in an invalid state and would fail until the computer was rebooted. This fix can be found in 3.20 Build 202.
- Fixed problem where the Tab and Ctrl keys did not work in the Cmd Tool dialog until you clicked a control in the dialog. This fix can be found in 3.20 Build 202.
- Fixed problem where certain files would produce a mismatch in the verify pass even though they were copied correctly. This fix can be found in 3.20 Build 202.
- Fixed copy problem, where if a folder differed by only its name, it is did not get renamed. This fix can be found in 3.20 Build 202.
- Fixed copy problem where the attributes of the target file were unnecessarily updated. This fix can be found in 3.20 Build 202.
- Fixed problem copying encrypted files on Windows 2000 and Vista. This fix can be found in 3.20 Build 202.
- Fixed problem that was causing check disk errors in Vista. This fix can be found in 3.20 Build 202.
- Fixed problem where the completed copy sound would not play when the command finished. This fix can be found in 3.20 Build 202.
- Fixed problem that would cause a set shortname error if the security on the target made it inaccessible. This fix can be found in 3.20 Build 202.
- Fixed problem where ISRCmd.exe could crash after a copy if the source and destination snapshot names were near the maximum length. This fix can be found in 3.20 Build 202.
BootBack Version 3.10 Build 169 Known Issues
Version 3.10 Build 169 was posted on July 11, 2006.
- Fixed problem where the Tab and Ctrl keys did not work in the Cmd Tool dialog until you clicked a control in the dialog. This fix can be found in 3.10 Build 173.
- Fixed copy problem where certain files would produce a mismatch in the verify pass even though they were copied correctly. This fix can be found in 3.10 Build 173.
- Fixed copy problem, where if a folder differed by only its name, it is did not get renamed. This fix can be found in 3.10 Build 173.
- Fixed copy problem where the attributes of the target file were unnecessarily updated. This fix can be found in 3.10 Build 173.
- Fixed problem copying encrypted files in Windows 2000. This fix can be found in 3.10 Build 173.
- Fixed problem where the copy sound would not play when the command finished. This fix can be found in 3.10 Build 173.
- Fixed problem where if the user clicked a button or the checkbox on the Command dialog and then pressed Enter, the dialog would exit. This fix can be found in 3.10 Build 173.
- Fixed problem that would cause a set shortname error if the security on the target made it inaccessible. This fix can be found in 3.10 Build 173.
- Fixed problem where ISRCmd.exe could crash after a copy if the source and destination snapshot names were near the maximum length. This fix can be found in 3.10 Build 173.
- SupportInfo.txt is now created on the User's Desktop and the MFT info has been removed since it was of limited use. This fix can be found in 3.10 Build 173.
- Excluded files starting with "*\" will now match files in the root as well as sub-folders. For example, "*\Temp" will match ALL files and folders named "Temp". This fix can be found in 3.10 Build 173.
BootBack Version 3.05 Build 166 Known Issues
Version 3.05 Build 166 was posted on November 29, 2005.
BootBack 3.10 Build 169 includes many new features which are detailed below. There are also fixes from BootBack 3.05 Build 166 and older. It is recommended that all customers upgrade to take advantage of these new features and fixes.
Non-English Functionality
- Now capable of running on a non-English version of Windows.
- No language localization, aka GUI and Command Line Interface are displayed in English at this time.
Compressed Snapshots
- A snapshot can now be compressed. This means that all the files in the snapshot are compressed using NTFS file compression.
- Only a new snapshot can be compressed. An existing snapshot cannot be converted. Use "<New Compressed Snapshot>" in the Copy Wizard or the INITC command in the command line interface.
- Once a snapshot is compressed it stays compressed. All updates of the snapshot are compressed.
- A copy of a compressed snapshot is not compressed unless the target snapshot is explicitly created as compressed.
- An archive of a compressed snapshot is not compressed. That is, if you restore an archive of a compressed snapshot the resultant snapshot is not compressed unless the snapshot is explicitly created as compressed.
- There is now a Tasks option to exclude System Restore Data when copying a snapshot or creating an archive.
- The option is ON by default. If System Restore is turned off (recommended) or if Windows 2000, the option has no affect.
- If the option is ON and System Restore is turned on, the destination snapshot or archive has System Restore turned on but no restore points.
- If the pre-boot timeout is enabled, there is now a count down when the time left if less than 10 seconds: "Boot in 9 second(s)", etc.
- If the Archive Location is on a network drive, the Copy Engine reports: "Finalizing - This may take a few minutes to complete". The long delay while Windows flushed the buffers caused users to think the software had locked up.
- If the Archive or Freeze location is on a network drive and the user does not have permission to get the free disk space available, an error is noted in the log and the operation continues.
- If the password or user name for a schedule is wrong, a meaningful error message is returned instead of "access denied".
- The Anchor Holding directory is now cleared after boot over to another snapshot.
- When a user/password is entered for network access, they are now checked immediately rather than have the copy fail later.
- There is a separate popup menu for Archives instead of using the snapshot menu.
- There is a new icon for Archives in the Manager.
- Fixed problem where if there were only invalid files in the Archive folder, the Service would crash.
- Fixed problem where if the target file was Sparse and the source was not, the file is copied successfully but the target remains Sparse.
BootBack Version 3.04 Build 164 Known Issues
Version 3.04 Build 164 was posted on July 27, 2005.
- SetupRSS is now able to recover from an invalid UpperFilters registry entry. This fix can be found in 3.05 Build 166.
- Fixed problem where Last Boot Date and Last Swap Date were converted incorrectly when Windows was configured to display the day of the month first. This fix can be found in 3.05 Build 166.
- Fixed a problem where if the frozen snapshot was renamed, an obsolete snapshot 'B' would be temporarily created. This fix can be found in 3.05 Build 166.
- If there were errors during a copy operation, a message box is now displayed informing the user that there were errors and directing him to the Log Viewer for details. This improvement can be found in 3.05 Build 166.
- Fixed a problem in the copy engine where if a source file differed from the destination file only by sparseness, an error was generated and the file was not copied. This fix can be found in 3.05 Build 166.
- Fixed problem where $ISR.bin was entered an unmovable file instead of $ISRBIN, with Raxco PerfectDisk. This fix can be found in 3.05 Build 166.
BootBack Version 3.03 Build 162 Known Issues
Version 3.03 Build 162 was posted on May 23, 2005.
- The RSS Open File Technology driver has been update to support Windows 2003 Service Pack 1. This fix can be found in 3.04 Build 164.
- The copy engine no longer modifies the static image to force the copy of registry hives. This previously resulted in the hives always getting the date stamp at time of copy. They now have the actual date stamp of the hive. This fix can be found in 3.04 Build 164.
BootBack Version 3.01 Build 156 Known Issues
Version 3.01 Build 156 was posted on December 3, 2004.
- The Getting Started wizard will now not be launched if you have only one snapshot and an archive. This change can be found in 3.03 Build 162.
- Fixed problem that caused the Service to go into an infinite loop logging errors if it was terminated and manually restarted. This fix can be found in 3.03 Build 162.
- Fixed a problem that could cause the wrong snapshot to be marked as frozen if a snapshot failed to boot. This fix can be found in 3.03 Build 162.
- Fixed a problem in the Manager that would cause a crash if the user right-clicked Archives and there were no archives in the list. This fix can be found in 3.03 Build 162.
- Fixed a problem that prevented a multi-week schedule from being created. This fix can be found in 3.03 Build 162.
- In the command-line interface, the ARCHIVE command would not accept an excluded file list. This change can be found in 3.03 Build 162.
- Like COPY, the excluded file list is now displayed for ARCHIVE commands. This change can be found in 3.03 Build 162.
- When setting the anchored file list of a remote computer, the command would fail if the anchored file did not exist on the local computer. This fix can be found in 3.03 Build 162.
- RSS Control has been modified to solve several interaction problems with BootBack and ArchiveSync/SureSync when sharing the RSS static image. This fix can be found in 3.03 Build 162.
BootBack Version 2.22 Build 138 Known Issues
Version 2.21 Build 136 was posted on October 4, 2004.
- Added ability to archive a snapshot to a network location. This new feature can be found in 3.01 Build 156.
- Added network remote control from the command line interface. This new feature can be found in 3.01 Build 156.
- Freeze now uses a single compressed file to minimize disk space. This improvement can be found in 3.01 Build 156.
- The Freeze storage can now be relocated to an alternate location. This improvement can be found in 3.01 Build 156.
- Added ability to return a snapshot to the previously frozen state after an unfreeze. This new feature can be found in 3.01 Build 156.
- Fixed a few misc interface inconsistencies. These improvements can be found in 3.01 Build 156.
BootBack Version 2.21 Build 136 Known Issues
Version 2.21 Build 136 was posted on June 15, 2004.
- An option to timeout on the pre-boot menu has been added. If the user presses the hotkey but does nothing with the menu for the specified number of seconds the current active snapshot is booted. This improvement can be found in version 2.22 Build 138
- When a snapshot is copied, its size is now updated. Also, Anchored files are now excluded from the size calculation for the active snapshot. This is so the size of the active snapshot will be the same as a copy of it. This improvement can be found in version 2.22 Build 138
- Fixed a problem that caused the Service to consume non-paged memory if run for a very long time without rebooting. This fix can be found in version 2.22 Build 138.
- Fixed a problem that showed the wrong date difference if the computer was set to show dates as d/m/y. This fix can be found in version 2.22 Build 138.
- Fixed a problem with Freeze that could cause the anchored files to be lost if the computer was rebooted before the freeze update completed. This fix can be found in 2.22 Build 138.
- Fixed a problem with Anchored Data that could cause a "Can't anchor" error while booting to another snapshot. This problem can also cause Windows to run a check disk after booting. This fix can be found in 2.22 Build 138.
- The pre-boot menu now gives a warning and ignores a bad snapshot folder rather than aborting. This improvement can be found in 2.22 Build 138.
BootBack Version 2.20 Build 134 Known Issues
Version 2.20 Build 134 was posted on March 29, 2004.
- The snapshot engine has been made faster and more accurate. This improvement can be found in version 2.21 Build 136. Note: You should refreeze any snapshot frozen with an earlier version of the copy engine.
- A Support Info button has been added to the About dialog box to help Technical Support gather information about an installation. This improvement can be found in version 2.21 Build 136
- The sections on Snapshots and Data Anchoring in the BootBack manual have been rewritten and a new section on working with Snapshots has been added. This improvement can be found in version 2.21 Build 136.
- The Getting Started Wizard now has a Data Anchoring screen. This improvement can be found in version 2.21 Build 136.
- The manager now gives a warning if it is started before the reboot after installation. This improvement can be found in version 2.21 Build 136.
- Freeze and Unfreeze commands now override the background freeze storage update if it has not yet completed. This allows a re-freeze to be part of a boot or logon script and prevents errors if these commands are issued before the update has completed. This improvement can be found in version 2.21 Build 136.
- The MTF Attribute buffer has been increased from 32 to 128. On some systems the Master File Table (MTF) itself became too fragmented and the number DATA attributes exceeded the buffer size. This fix is included in version 2.21 Build 136.
- Since BootBack is not currently localized and will fail on non-English language systems, BootBack now tests for English on installation. This improvement can be found in version 2.21 Build 136.
- Fixed a problem in the copy engine that sometimes caused a file which differed only in case to be removed from the destination snapshot. This fix can be found in version 2.21 Build 136.
- Fixed a problem where the please wait prompt always used the default prompt and priority when non-admin users logged in. This fix can be found in version 2.21 Build 136.
BootBack Version 2.20 Build 133 Known Issues
Version 2.20 Build 133 was posted on March 8, 2004.
- Removed the F1 prompt at boot when performing a "Boot to Snapshot" from the BootBack Windows interface. This change is available in 2.20 Build 134
- Changes made to allow for BootBack to coexist on machines running the new Advanced Open File Support in SureSync/ArchiveSync. If you have SureSync/ArchiveSync installed on machine with BootBack and plan to use the Advanced Open File Support in those products then you must run 2.20 Build 134 or newer of BootBack. This change is available in 2.20 Build 134.
BootBack Version 2.13 Build 119 Known Issues
Version 2.13 Build 119 was posted on February 6, 2004.
- Snapshot Groups: You can now create snapshot groups. Snapshot groups provide a method to password protect snapshots during the pre-boot. There are 1 to 4 groups. The first group is the "Default" group and has no password. Initially, the pre-boot menu displays the snapshots in the default group. The user can view and select the snapshots in one of the other groups by entering the password for that group. There is a new menu item under Tools, "Configure Snapshot Groups" to manage your snapshot groups. There is also a new ISRControl command, GROUP. This new functionality is included in 2.20 Build 133.
- Snapshot Freeze: You can now "Freeze" a snapshot. Rebooting the computer will restore the frozen snapshot to the exact state it was in at the time it was frozen. To freeze a snapshot, boot that snapshot and choose "Freeze" from the Action menu. Freezing a snapshot will require additional disk space equal to twice the size of the snapshot. The BootBack Manager designates the frozen snapshot with a new icon. The pre-boot menu and ISRControl designate it with a '#'. There is a Freeze tab in the Options dialog. You can also set the Freeze options with the ISRControl config command. This new functionality is included in 2.20 Build 133.
- The pre-boot menu has been simplified and improved. The last boot date (or creation date if never booted) is listed along side the snapshot name and the description of the selected snapshot is shown immediately under the name. The BootBack graphic is always shown if the pre-boot code is enabled. On "Boot To Snapshot", there is a 1 second wait for the hot key after the graphic is shown. If the hot key is pressed during this period, the Boot To is cancelled and the menu is displayed. If the hot key is set to None, the F1 key is used. These improvements are included in 2.20 Build 133.
BootBack Version 2.12 Build 118 Known Issues
Version 2.12 Build 118 was posted on December 3, 2003.
- If BootBack setup encounters an error during installation it now does an uninstall and the installer rolls back any changes made. This prevents BootBack from being partially installed. This change is included in 2.12 Build 119.
- BootBack Setup has been made more robust during uninstall. It will continue even if it is unable to uninstall some parts of BootBack. The installer displays an error message and offers the user the option to continue the uninstall. This prevents users from getting into a can't uninstall condition. This change is included in 2.12 Build 119.
- A Start Menu item has been added to Uninstall BootBack. Selecting this item launches the Setup Wizard to remove BootBack. This change is included in 2.12 Build 119.
- The method used by the installer to test for Dynamic Disks (unsupported by BootBack) has been changed since the previous method was failing on some computers. This change is included in 2.12 Build 119.
- The installer now checks for GoBack installed and displays a pre-install error. GoBack locks the MBR and prevents BootBack from being installed. This change is included in 2.12 Build 119.
- The pre-boot now only reads the real-time clock once per log message and ignores any error returned by the BIOS. The repeated calls of the real-time clock in the case of an error are suspected of causing a lockup. This change is included in 2.12 Build 119.
- Renaming a snapshot to the same name as an existing snapshot previously failed without an error being reported. This has been fixed in 2.12 Build 119
- The snapshot copy engine has been changed to use a case-sensitive compare of file names. Although Windows does not allow two files to have the same name with different cases, UNIX does allow it and systems with shared file systems were causing confusion. Note, however, that such files still cannot be copied under Windows. A workaround to the problem is to anchor the root of the UNIX shared file system. This change is included in 2.12 Build 119.
- Even though the BootBack tray icon was set to Never Show, previously it would briefly be displayed during a snapshot copy operation. This has been fixed in 2.12 Build 119.
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